The present invention relates to a protective guide for a retracting cable or the like, which protects and guides a cable or the like trained between a case body and a retracting unit retractably accommodated in the case body.
As a conventional protective guide for a retracting cable or the like, which protects and guides a cable or the like trained between a case body and a retracting unit retractably accommodated in the case body has been known to provide a protective guide for a retracting cable or the like in which a cable or the like 260 was secured to a sheet metal support member 240 articulately jointed by a hinge 220, by strings 280 or the like as shown in FIG. 4.
However, in the conventional protective guide 200 for a retracting cable or the like, since the articulated portion is jointed by the hinge 220, the two sheet metal support members 240 are connected by a sharp bend during bending thereof and tension is imparted to the cable or the like 260 secured to the sheet metal support member 240 thereby leading to a cause of the breakage of the cable or the like 260.
Further, since the cable or the like 260 is secured to the sheet metal support member 240 by strings 280 or the like, stress is imparted to the cable or the like 260 every time of bending, which causes the breakage thereof. Further, an operation of securing the cable or the like 260 to the sheet metal support member 240 by strings 280 or the like is troublesome, which increases in the production cost.
Further, since the weight of the sheet metal support member and the cable or the like is concentrated in one hinge, the service life of the hinge was reduced. And since the cable or the like is mounted on the sheet metal support member in an exposed manner, improvement has been desired from the viewpoints of aesthetics and reliability.
Accordingly, the object of the present invention is to provide a protective guide for a retracting cable or the like to which excessive tension or stress is not imparted to a cable or the like during bending and extending or retracting operations in taking a retracting unit in and out, and which does not need a troublesome securing operation for a cable or the like, and further which is excellent in even a point of aesthetics.
The protective guide for a retracting cable or the like according to the present invention solves the above-mentioned object by a protective guide for a retracting cable or the like, which forms a tubular enclosure which protects and guides a cable or the like trained between a case body and a retracting unit retractably accommodated in the case body, characterized in that said protective guide includes two linear tubular support members, which support said cable or the like in a linear manner, and a tubular bending member, which articulately connects said two linear support members with a desired curvature without a sharp bend.
Since the protective guide for a retracting cable or the like according to the present invention includes two linear support members, which said support said cable or the like in a linear manner, and a bending member, which articulately connects said two linear support members with a desired curvature without a sharp bend. Accordingly, a retracting unit is smoothly slid on a case body without imparting excessive tension or stress to the cable or the like.